Beverage mixing and dispensing apparatus



April 17, 1951 J. J. BOOTH ETAL 2,548,938

BEVERAGE MIXING AND DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed June 23, 1945 Patentecl Apr. 17, 1951 BEVERAGE -MI-XING AND DISPENSING?v APPARATUS Jack J. Bootliandy Frazier N. James, Dallas,V Tex; said James assignor to said Booth Application June 23, 1945, Serial No. 601,226

This invention relates to beverage dispensing machines and more particularly to drink mixing apparatus. y The principal object of theinvention is to provide a self contained automatic soft dri-nk syrup and carbonated Water mixing dispenser wherein CO2- is introduced into refrigerated` water which is, in turn, brought under proper pressure to the head of a delivery spigot. The syrup or' body of the beverage is also brought, under proper pressure, to the head 'of the spigot. When the delivery or operating element of the spigot is actuated, the syrup and CO2 water will, by their individual pressures, be released through individual delivery jets in the spigot orriser and will, by the subsequent turbulence mix and flowr through the drink deliveryr spout.

Another object of the invention is to provide for the cooling, mixing and delivering of a properlyproportioned carbonated beverage for immediate consumption, the said mixing step; being' performed by a novel draft armincluding a-spigotiv wherein. the separate liquid passages are of a diameter best suited to the viscosity of. the liquid. required to pass therethrough. and` by which thev beverage is proportioned. The said draft arm is; preferably constructed from transparent or semi-transparent. plastic material which is. known to possess low heat conductivity and may be eco*- nomically formed into structures oi pleasingv appearance.

With the foregoing. objects as paramount, the. invention has further reference to certain fea.- tures of accomplishmentv which will become.V ap.- parent as the description proceeds, taken in. connection with the accompanying drawings wher-'ef-y 111.13

Figure 1 is a side elevational View of acl-raft arm and spigot in vertical section.

- Figure` 2v isa similar' view of a slightly modified form of the invention.

Figure 3 is a view in transverse section, taken onl line 3-3 on Figure 2-, and

Figure 4 is a perspective View of a. drink mix'- ing apparatus, partly broken away, showing the1` 4 Claims. (CI. 137-69) 2; spigot' communicating, with the syrup container of the system'. From. another spigot is drawn. car.- bonated Water to complete the mixture-thorough commingling' of the ingredients being. ei'ected under pressure of the CO2 gas. In this ligure, reference numeralA III denotes a housing which may be of any desired form but is preferably mounted on wheels (not shown) for convenience in transporting the apparatus from place to place. On the other hand, ythe system shown and to be described presently may. occupy a position under a sodabar and-from which the syrup andk water may be mixed and dispensed-by the draft arm of the invention, to-be described presently.

Within the. cabinet or housing I0 is arranged a drum II containing a syrup concentrate and a v water tank I2, suppliedfrom a source below the cabinet I0 through a pipe I3. A carbonator- I! of conventional construction is provided on a carbonated water storage tank I5 and receives water from the tank I2 through. pipe I6. Air pres-- sure from` a compressor (not shown) is supplied. to2 drum II andcarbonated- Water storage tank I5- through pipes I-'I` and I8 respectively. Under' pressure thus supplied. in. the drum and tank, syrup isl constrained. to pass into a riser I9 through pipe-20.while 4CO2 charged water enters the riser I9 through pipe'zl.

As statedk previously,.thes present: invention is: particularly concerned with thefdraft.-r arm shown inFi'g-.ures 1. to 3' andv shown. applied in Figure-v4. draft arm is.` comprised of the cylindrical riser I9, preferablyma'de from round plastic stock inwhic'lr two parallel passagesl 22 are made/by boring or otherwiseto a point nearthe top thereof. Ihesepassages which' may be ofthesame diameter, as shown in Figure l', communicate witha lateralfpassage 23, which. latter in turn, communicates. with. a cavity 25'in thebody 2.6,-of a spigot. This cavity becomes the mixing cham-ber for carbonatedwater entering throughy a-smaller: `iet'member 24;v and the syrupwhich enters the:` cavity.: through. a; larger j et.y member 24a. The reasonx for the f difference-inl diameter-ofltherpase sages-iin members 24` andl-24ais tolprovide-"forlthedii-Terenceviscosity ofthe two liquids. In other words',` theV heavier the liquid, the larger' the passage andi'n the event' the `viscosity of the two liquids is the same, the size' ofthe passages would', of" course, be the. same. It. isfurther pointed out that should there bev any cause to mix. abeveragecomprisedloi three-or more sepai-fatel ingredients, an equalnumber of..v` passages. may- 3 be made in the riser I9 to communicate with the cavity 25 of the spigot, with the same results.

Inasmuch as there is a pressure differential in the two or more passages 22 in the riser I9, check valves 22a are disposed in recesses 22h in the upper ends of the passages, held down by springs 22o. Access to the balls 22a and springs is effected by boring holes 23 from the top of the riser into the passage 23a made laterally in the riserV to communicate with the cavity 25 in the body of the spigot. The jets or iittings 24 and 24a are threaded into the recesses 22o, these being inserted through the bores 23 and set by a screw driver. The springs 22e bear against these ttings to impose yielding pressure on the balls. The open ends of the bores 23 are closed by threaded plugs.

It will be observed that liquid under pressure rising through the passages 22 will displace the balls 22a against the resistance of springs 22e to enter the lateral bore 23a and thence the cavity 25 to ow from the spigot When'the latter is opened. Since pressure on the syrup is normally greater than that on the water the tendency to equalize in the passages 22 is defeated by the valves 22a.

The spigot is comprised of the body 26, having the cavity 25, with which communicates a bore 21 of smaller diameter to accommodate a rod 28, protruding through the bifurcated end 29 oi the body 26. Within the bifurcated end 29 is mounted a lever 30 on a pivot 3|. This lever has a handle 32 and its operative face a is curved where it engages the protruding end of rod 28.

Upon downward movement of the handle 32, the curved surface a of the lever will urge the rod 28 inwardly lio displace the ball 33 from its seat 34, set into the forward end of the cavity 25. The ball is moved against the resistance of a spring 35 in the cavity and the two liquids rising in passages 22 andI entering cavity 25 through the differential passages of jet members 24 and 24a will become mixed in the cavity and will flow past the ball 33 into a waiting receptacle through the spout 36, whose passage 3l communicates with a bore 38 which, in turn, communicates with the cavity. The drink thus dispensed is accurately proportioned without conjecture and represents a sav-i ing to the merchant as well as affording the consumer a uniformly satisfying drink.

f Figures 2 and 3 illustrate a slightly modified form of the draft arm shown in Figure 1. In this latter form, the riser 39 has longitudinal passages 40 of equal diameter which terminate in internally threaded recesses 4lla at their upper ends.

To prevent equalizing of the normally different pressures in the passages 40, ball valves 4Gb are arranged in the recesses 40a in the tops of the passages, against which bear springs 4|lc. The fittings 4I and 42, to be specifically described presently, are threaded into the recesses 4Gb and it is against these that the springs 40o bear, as shown. The fitting 4I has a smaller orifice than fitting 42 and is formed to direct CO2 charged water into the stream of syrup jetted from the companion tting 42.y The two streams of liquid enter the mixing chamber or cavity 43 of the head 44, which latter may be of any desired shape and is threaded or otherwise mounted upon the upper end of the riser 39.

Threaded into the head 44 vat right angles to the riser is the body 45 of the spigot and which has aY large bore or cavity 4S therein communicating with the chamber 43 of the head 44 through a smaller passage 41. A ball 48 is disposed in the 4 cavity 46, held by means of a spring 49 against a seat 50. A rod l extends through a smaller bore made axially through the body 45 to protrude into a circular recess 52 in the end thereof. A button 53 is fastened to the protruding end of the rod 5I and conforms to the recess 52 so that when pressed, it will enter the recesses and actuate the rod 5l axiallyV to displace the ball 48 with respect to its seat 50. The already mixed liquids will then flow through the passage 54 of the spout 55 into a glass held thereunder.

It is to be understood that instead of providing special jets, such as fittings 4l and 42 or passages of different diameters, such as shown at 24 and 24a, in Figure l, the passages 22 or 40 in the risers I9 and 39 respectively, may be of different sizes or, as a matter of fact, tubes of different sizes may be employed in lieu of drilled passages to accommodate liquids of diierent viscosities, necessary for the successful operation of a mixer and dispenser of beverages consisting of two or more liquid ingredients.

Manifestly, the construction as shown and dey scribed is capable of some modication and such modification as may be construed to fall Within the scope and meaning of the appended claims is also considered to be within the spirit and intent of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a draft arm for drink mixing apparatus, a riser having a plurality of longitudinal passages having individual communication with a source of liquid and a carbonating agent at their lower ends and discharging into a mixing chamber at their upper ends, a tting in the discharge end of each of said passages defining jets, said jets having orices of differential diameters for restricting said passages in accordance with the difference in viscosity of the liquids passing therethrough, a spigot on said riser also having a mixing chamber with which said passages communicate through said rst chamber for releasing mixed liquids rising through said passages, and valve means in each of said passages to preclude equalication of the normally different pressures therein.

2. In a drink mixing and dispensing apparatus, a draft arm including a riser having a plurality of liquid passages longitudinally therethrough having individual communication with a source of syrup and a carbonating agent at one end and discharging at their opposite ends into a mixing chamber, a spigot on said riser also having a mixing chamber receiving the mixed liquids from said iirst chamber, a jet in the discharge end of each of said passages, said jets having orifices of unequal diameters for restricting the iiow of liquids into said first chamber in accordance with diierences in viscosity of said liquids and valve means also in said passages t0 prevent equalization of normally different pressures therein.

3. In a drink mixing and dispensing apparatus, a dispensing arm including a riser having longitudinal and relatively parallel passages therein .through which syrup and carbonated water are transported individually under separate pressures from a source of syrup and carbonated Water supply and for discharging the same simultaneously into a chamber, valve means in said passages for maintaining individual pressures in said passages, a spigot having a mixing chamber with which said rst chamber communicates for releasing said liquids simultaneously from said passages and means in said passages having orifices of unequal diameters for restricting delivery of liquids into said rst chamber in accordance with differences in viscosity thereof. 'J

4. In a drink mixing and dispensing apparatus, a draft arm including a riser having fluid passages therein communicating at one end with a source 5 lREFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name l Date r112,292 Geddes Oct. 28, 1902 993,806 Taylor May 30, 1911 1,202,263 Bills Oct. 24, 1916 1,600,170 Henderson Sept. 14, 1926 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 209,129 Germany of 1909 

